Reason 3: Trauma. Childhood neglect or abuse can affect your sensitivity levels as an adult. A portion of empaths I've treated have experienced early trauma such as emotional or physical abuse, or they were raised by alcoholic, depressed, or narcissistic parents.
While this may not be true for everyone, the strong desire to be empathetic can be a trauma response. If your struggles were dismissed when you were growing up, you may overcompensate by paying extreme attention to other people's emotional states instead.
Give yourself time to heal. Be patient and loving with yourself. Mourn the losses you experience. Allow yourself to experience your feelings and memories without any judgment.
Empaths are those who have developed survival mechanisms when facing challenging environments in their childhood that carry out into their adulthood. They extend themselves outwardly, taking on and empathizing with the emotions of others, even their abusers.
Childhood neglect or abuse can affect your sensitivity levels as an adult. A portion of empaths I've treated have experienced early trauma such as emotional or physical abuse, or they were raised by alcoholic, depressed or narcissistic parents.
In fact, research suggests your children are more likely to grow up both happier and healthier than other children. A new study shows that children of highly empathic parents thrive—they are psychologically and physically healthier and more balanced. This makes sense.
The key symptom of empath burnout, empath shutdown, and compassion fatigue is that you start to feel cynical or detached from the people and events around you. Your nervous system may be stuck in survival mode. These are the key signs: Feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope.
Empaths have a tendency to take on the problems of others as their own. It is often difficult for them to set boundaries for themselves and say no, even when too much is being asked of them. Additionally, it is common for empaths to feel drained after spending time around people.
As an empath in a tense moment, your heart rate may quicken even more than normal. Your anger may feel heightened, your sadness more intense. It's harder to control your own emotions because you have your emotions and your partner's emotions running through your body.
An curved arrow pointing right. Empaths and narcissists are often drawn to each other. This is because empaths have a lot of compassion and understanding to give, while narcissists thrive on someone worshipping them.
No noise, bright lights, phone calls, texts, emails, internet, television, or conversations. It's sometimes important to just feel your own energy without anyone else around. You are being your own best friend, which is a way to nurture yourself. By decreasing external stimulation, it's also easier to clear negativity.
Empaths tend to love hard and intensely, experiencing deep feelings of connection. They are fully in tune with their partners - reading not only what they say but also what they don't say - their body language, their silence and even their lies.
Empaths are easily overwhelmed (by noise, light, activity, emotion) Another key difference between empathic people and those who identify as empaths are that empaths, by their very nature, have a particularly sensitive nervous system.
But empathy can have a dark side. Some people, known as dark empaths, understand the feelings of others but don't feel these feelings themselves. They might act like they care, but deep down, they don't feel sympathy for you or have a desire to help. They use their understanding of your feelings to manipulate you.
As empaths, we are more in tune with our own energetic bodies and tend to feel emotions at a deeper level. In fact, we also have the tendency to absorb others' energy. When we are under a lot of stress in our own lives or there is a lot of stress around us, we can feel sadder or even depressed.
Plenty of alone time (to center and recharge)
Peace is difficult to find when surrounded by other people, sounds, and various stimuli. So, empaths need regular alone time and mini-breaks throughout the day to refocus and recharge. It's not just about being alone — it's about self-preservation and self-care.
Gray eye color is one of the more rare eye colors in the population, and it's often believed to be indicative of a higher degree of empathy.
Empaths, generally, would rather receive a handmade gift or item of sentimental value than to be showered with expensive items. Empaths would likely place gift giving as their least desired love language, whereas narcissists would place it at the top of the list.
Heyoka empath
Heyoka empaths are said to be the rarest and most powerful variety, acting as a spiritual mirror to those around them to assist their growth. The Heyoka's unorthodox approach to life makes others question their own preconceived notions of what's right and wrong, real and fantasy.
Perhaps you have always had the ability to feel the emotions and physical symptoms of others as if they were your own. If this rings true in your life, you may be an “empath.” Only 1 to 2 percent of the population experience this type of sensitivity, having the ability to feel and absorb the emotions surrounding them.
"A challenge of being an empath is to practice boundaries between the physical and emotional experiences of others and yourself," Villegas says. "It can be easy for empaths to take on, and even physically experience, someone else's discomfort or exuberance."
Only one to two percent of people are empaths, and they exhibit their empathy and emotional intelligence in unique ways. Discovering your emotional resilience equips you with strategies that help you face each day with physical, mental, and social strength.